unusual dulcimer

Subject: RE: unusual dulcimer
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 06:28 AM

I first became hooked on the citera via the playing of Anne Osnowycz in the late 70's, although it wasn't until 2005 that I finally found one - see HERE for the tale, such as it is - though there was a chap in Kendal making citeras in the 1980s. I have to admit that I've never played a note of Hungarian Folk Music on it, just as I've never played a note of Turkish Folk Music on my kemence - it's the practicalities, sound & ergonomics of such instruments that interest me over above any such folk associations. There was a time when I listened to nothing else but East European traditional music in general, mostly field recordings although I enjoyed Marta Sebestyen for a while - though nothing she did quite lived up to the promise of her singing with Fraternitas Musicorum on their Pierre Vidal album which also featured Andras Kecskes on koboz whose playing had so enchanted me as part of the Clemencic Consort which is where I first heard Anne Osnowycz. Strange worlds. Love the citera though - almost as much as the crwth...

Subject: RE: unusual dulcimer
From: Jack Campin
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 05:53 AM

Look at the gallery for the camp and it's virtually all jeans, shorts and sleeveless t-shirts.

Hungarian folkies use folk clothing in much the same way as Highland pipers or English morris dancers. It's worn as a more everyday practice in Transylvania and Moldavia, but that's not where these folks are from.

I have never seen such energetic dancing to such quiet music as at a folk camp in Transylvania. A bunch of people doing furious stamping dances to an unamplified citera duet outdoors beside a pub at 1am.

Citeras seem to be the hot new thing in Hungarian folk. They're everywhere and there are recently published books about how to play them. Rather that than the ukulele, anyway.

Subject: RE: unusual dulcimer
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 04:38 AM

Looks a little folksy for my tastes, Jack. My God, those costumes!

Subject: RE: unusual dulcimer
From: Jack Campin
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 07:22 PM

These people might be worth getting in touch with:

Barandi Citera Band

They organized a week-long citera festival in July 2009 and 2010, so might do it again:

Alfold festival 2009

2009 pictures

Festival 2010

(Everything is in Hungarian, but in my experience Hungarian folkies will make colossal efforts to help anyone interested in their music, even if they know not a word of the language).

Subject: RE: unusual dulcimer
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 03:18 PM

Total length : 87cm / string length : 65cm.

Subject: RE: unusual dulcimer
From: Crowhugger
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 01:33 PM

Beautiful looking instrument--what's the total length?

Subject: RE: unusual dulcimer
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 08:59 AM

I've got two up & running just now - one an antique (in photo link above) and the other from 1983 made from mahogany (HERE. Lots of drones over 2.5 octaves!

Subject: RE: unusual dulcimer
From: s&r
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 08:36 AM

Spot on Sean -simpler (cheaper) but that's it.

Stu

Subject: RE: unusual dulcimer
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 08:25 AM

Sorry - pressed submit by mistake.

In which case all the fretted strings are tuned in unison and you use the parralel frets to play in other modes without interfering too much with the modal nature of the instrument.

Subject: RE: unusual dulcimer
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 08:20 AM

Sounds like a citera, Stu. Is it anything like THIS?

Subject: unusual dulcimer
From: s&r
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 08:01 AM

I have a dulcimer with six strings, two melody, unknown string, and three drone. Unknown string bothers me - it is fretted, but the fret positions are not the same as the two melody strings.

Any information would be welcome...

Stu